Monarch Butterflies, Pismo Beach, CaliforniaMonarch Butterflies take part in one of the longest migrations in the world. They travel up to 2,500 miles. Those east of the Rocky Mountains will winter in Mexico, while those west of the Rockies winter along the central California coast. They return to the same exact trees each year — in fir trees in Mexico and in eucalyptus trees in California — even though different butterflies are doing the migrating each year. These particular monarchs are part of the western migration. I photographed them in Pismo Beach, California a few years back, early in the morning when they were still clustered together on tree branches. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/250th of a second